French Loaf

Desc[injection]ription: This one is a family favorite. It's quick, easy, and pretty yummy!

Type: Main Course

Approximate time: 40min

Approximate servings: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

2 lb hamburger
16 oz. Any flavor sour cream-based dip (like what you use with your ruffled chips),  I prefer French Onion
Your choice of shredded cheese, I use Colby Jack
1 French loaf or Italian loaf
Supplies needed:

Stove and oven
Skillet
Spatula
Cooking spoon
Cookie sheet
Strainer
(optional) Aluminum foil

Directions:
1. Start off by browning your hamburger in your skillet. I find it's generally best to cook over medium heat, as it minimized grease splattering and your food won't be as likely to burn.
2. Once the hamburger is fully cooked, remove it from the heat, and strain the grease from it. Return it to the pan. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F
3. Mix the dip into the meat.
4. If you want to keep cheese from burning to your cookie sheet, line it with aluminum foil. Then, if your loaf needs cut (hot dog style), cut it. Lay the two piece of the loaf side by side on the cookie sheet.
5. Spread the hamburger evenly across the two pieces of the loaf.
6. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly on the loaves.
7. Put the cookie sheet in the oven. Cook until the cheese has melted, which should take 10-15min.
8. Slice it up and enjoy!

Extra tips:

Tuna egg Skillet

Desc[injection]ription: This one was an easy lunch that my mom used to make for my sister and me. It may sound weird or even gross, but I promise, it's delicious

Type: Main Course

Approximate time: 20min

Approximate servings: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

2 cans of tuna
2 cans of sliced potatoes
6 eggs
Salt and peper

Supplies needed:

Stove
Skillet
Spatula

Directions:
1.  Crack your eggs and put them in the skillet, then add the tuna, potatoes, and salt & pepper. Cook over medium heat.
2. Make sure to stir it up (like you are making scrambled eggs). Continue cooking until eggs are no longer runny.
3. All done! Told you it was easy ;D

Extra tips:
For some reason I can't really explain, applesauce makes a great side

Fried Chicken & Gravy

Desc[injection]ription: Can't really go wrong with some fried chicken, homemade gravy, and some mashed potatoes!

Type: Main Course

Approximate time: Depends on the size of your chicken

Approximate servings: ?

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients:

Flour
2 eggs
Milk
Chicken breasts
Salt & pepper
3 Tbls Butter
2 Tbls Vegetable oil

Supplies needed:

Stove
Skillet
Tongs or spatula
Dishes to hold milk, eggs, and flour
Whisk
Meat thermometer

Directions:
1.  Put eggs, flour, and milk in their own dishes (so you can dip the chicken in them). Put any seasoning you want on your chicken in with the flour (like salt and pepper) and mix it up. Put the oil in your skillet and set the heat to medium high.

2. Dip the chicken in the milk, then into the flour, into the egg, then into the flour again. After the second coat of flour, it's ready to go into the skillet.

3. Make sure to flip your chicken every once in awhile to keep it from burning. Chicken should be 165 degrees Fahrenheit before it is served. If you do not have a meat thermometer, look for clear juices and make sure to cut into your chicken to make sure there is NO pinkness inside it.

4. Once all or your pieces of chicken are fully cooked, remove them from the skillet and set them aside. Put the butter into your skillet and using a whisk, work the browned bit of chicken off of the pan (this will give your gravy flavor).

5. Put milk into the skillet. I didn't give measurements for this, because it depends on how much gravy you are wanting to make. Slowly add flour and keep stirring until your gravy has reached a desirable consistency. If it gets too thick, add milk.

Extra tips:
Homemade mashed potatoes are best, but if you can't make them, instant potatoes are good too!

Macaroni Pizza

Desc[injection]ription: Sounds strange, but I promise that if you like macaroni and cheese, you'll love it.

Type: Main Course

Approximate time: 40min

Approximate servings: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 jar of Cheddar Cheese sauce (such as Ragu)
3 cups elbow macaroni or cellentani noodles
A package of your choice of shredded cheese
Pizza crust (premade or make your own)

Supplies needed:

Stove and oven
Large sauce pan
Cooking spoon
Strainer
Pizza sheet (if you don't have one, just set the pizza on the oven rack)

Directions:
1. Prepare noodles as instructed on their box

2. Once the noodles are done cooking, strain the water from them and return them to the pan.

3. Preheat oven as instructed by Pizza crust instructions.

4. Mix about half of the cheese sauce into the noodles. Add about a 1/4 of a cup of shredded cheese and stir.

5. Spread the rest of the cheese sauce on your crust. la
yer on your noodles and then sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over it.

6. Bake, following directions for pizza crust

Extra tips:

Chicken with Rosemary Butter Sauce

Desc[injection]ription: I absolutely love this sauce. I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine and it's become a favorite. 

Type: Main Course

Approximate time: 40min

Approximate servings: 2

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
Heavy Whipping Cream*
Butter
Chicken Broth*
Rosemary

(*Use equal parts of Heavy Whipping Cream and chicken broth, there will be a note on this in the Extra tips)

Supplies needed:

Stove
Skillet
Tongs or spatula
Whisk
Measuring cups (optional)
Meat thermometer

Directions:
1. Put about 2 Tbls of butter in your skillet and set the stove to about medium-high heat. Once the butter has melted, put the chicken breasts in the skillet.

2. Cook the chicken to 165 degrees F, making sure to flip it on occasion. If you don't have a meat thermometer, look for clear juices and cut into the thickest part of one of the breasts to check that there is no pink inside.

3. Once the chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the skillet and turn the heat down to medium. 

4. Add the chicken broth to the pan and using the whisk loosen the bits of chicken from the pan. Add the heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. 

5. Add 2 Tbls butter and a dash of rosemary.

6. Serve the chicken with sauce drizzled over it.

Extra tips:

The original recipe uses 1/4 cup of chicken broth and heavy whipping cream. However, I always make extra, so I use 1 or 2 cups of each (equal parts). This gives me extra sauce, which can be used on the side dish or can be kept for leftovers.

You can also use a bit of flour in the sauce to thicken it up, if you find it to be too thin.

I serve it with steamed rice, the sauce gives the rice a nice flavor.